Blog

Many BT customers in Cornwall have sent complaints to BT about the slow speed of their broadband connections, claiming that they are paying broadband prices for dial-up speeds.

Daphne Butler, a customer from St Stephen says she has found the BT broadband service very unreliable and is angry that she signed up to a monthly package. According to Daphne, “three weeks out of four the broadband light is flashing orange, which means no internet connection”. Similarly, Andrea Michele from Truro claims that her broadband is often “slower than dial-up”.

BT has responded to these claims by saying that they are doing a lot to tackle the problem of broadband speeds in rural areas such as Cornwall, and customers will soon experience a “superfast” broadband service. According to BT’s regional manager, Michael Dunn, “millions of pounds are being invested in the upgrade programme”. Even though the roll-out has only just begun, he says most of the county should be covered within 18 months.

Indeed, it has been claimed by BT that their new £132m project will give Cornwall 100mbps internet by 2014 and create 4,000 jobs, improving the lives of residents and businesspeople across the county. BT’s scheme, launched in Newquay by BT chief executive Ian Livingston, is hailed as the UK’s biggest ever rollout of rural fibre optic broadband and many are excited to see what is in store.

In the meantime it seems that nothing can be done about slow speeds in the area. According to Dunn, the customer always has the opportunity to test their line speed before signing a contract, and do not have to go ahead if they are unhappy.